The Reggio Emilia Approach
Hailed by Newsweek (1991) magazine as the international role model for preschools, the Reggio Emilia approach has caught the attention of early childhood educators. In 1999, current Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley visited the schools in Reggio Emilia to better understand its benefits (Dunne, 2000). It’s principals are understood by only a few, however, and has limited following with approximately 1200 Reggio inspired preschools in operation, most of them private (Sipprelle, 2009), making the innovative ideas offered by this approach available to only a few. Why have so few schools emulated those so successful in Reggio Emilia, Italy? Is Reggio Emilia applicable in the American classroom? A look at the history, theory, practices and application of this approach reveals both the benefits and difficulties in adapting it to the current educational system in the United States.
From its very beginnings, the Reggio approach places a high priority on children. After the devastation of World War II, the Italian government gave each town a subsidy to use in any way they saw fit to re-establish a sense of community that was taken away during the war. While many towns used the money to create communal public spaces, the town of Reggio Emilia decided to use the money to build a school for young children, ages birth through six, as an investment in the future of the entire community. Led by Loris Malaguzzi, known as the father of the Reggio Emilia approach, the school was developed with the mindset that children were active and capable contributors to society. The philosophy was shaped by a number of constructivist theories, including those of Vygotsky and Piaget. The idea of community collabora...
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...ned by words such as standards and performance. Theory and best practice has been set by academic scholars and is expected to be carried out by teachers, requiring them to perform to a certain standard. Teachers themselves are not always trusted to create appropriate curriculum in response to the needs of the children and they must be for the Reggio approach to be fully successful.
Works Cited
Sisson, Jamie Huff. "Making sense of competing constructs of teacher as professional." Journal of Research in Childhood Education 23.3 (2009): 351+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Abramson, S., Ankenman, K., & Robinson, R. (1995). Project work with diverse students: adapting curriculum based on the Reggio Emilia approach. Childhood Education, 71(4), 197+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA16864617&v=2.1&u=lom_accessmich&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
Soler, J., & Miller, L., 2010. The Struggle for Early Childhood Curricula: A comparison of the English Foundation Stage Curriculum, Te Whariki and Reggio Emilia. International Journal of Early Years Education. London: Routledge.
In contrast, Reggio Emilia curriculum offers a social constructivist, whereby students construct their own meaning and thinking within a social domain. The Reggio Emilia curriculum believe children as self-learner of their culture. Consequently, what works in Reggio teacher teaching in one learning center will not necessarily work at any other learning center. Reggio Emilia teachers documented and record both social progress and academic change in children. They record everything from paper, pencil, games, observations, the changes on the child. (Edwards, Gandini and Forman, 1998)
The occupations that I have chosen to analyze using the three elements for this assignment are paraprofessional, what I am currently, and a teacher, what I am going to college to become. Teachers and paraprofessionals work side by side, collaborate, plan, and share many of the same experiences. However, paraprofessionals are often not treated as equals and has created some ethical judgement regarding treatment of the paraprofessionals from other teachers and administrators in the business of education. I want to use this assignment as an opportunity to distinguish the true professional using the elements designed for this course.
Morrison, G. S. (1976). Chapter 6: Early Childhood Programs APPLYING THEORIES TO PRACTICE. In Early childhood education today (10th ed., pp. 5-31). Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.
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The Waldorf Approach Preschool is a highly debated area of a child’s educational journey. One of the primary goals of preschool is to prep the child for traditional elementary school. There are various contemporary models of early education that have been constructed to help children develop their educational career. A few examples of these models are the Bank Street Approach, The Reggio Emilia Approach, The Montessori Approach, and the Head Start Program just to name a few. The Waldorf approach is the program of discussion in this particular paper.
The results of quality preschool programs can be seen early after they begin. Children learn many important life le...
Community and parent support is considered a valuable and vital part of the Reggio Emilia system. The exchange of ideas between parents and teachers is essential and favours the development of a new way of educating. The approach encourages interaction and communic...
Pufall, Peter B., Richard P Unsworth, and Inc NetLibrary. Rethinking Childhood. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2004.
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When composing my interpretation of this assignment, I have found many purposes for this paper. The first purpose is focusing on the materials in the math/science center. After focusing on the materials, the next step is analyzing the materials to see if they support a math and science based learning. In addition to analyzing the materials, connecting my observations to the resources provided is a core part of this assignment as well. The final purpose involved in this project is exposure to the Reggio Emilia approach in early childhood education. I have never been in this type of environment before. I thought it was very interesting.
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